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Security and CrimeForeign troops raid journalist’s house
by Hidayatullah KhostionJun 5, 2012 - 18:34 KHOST (PAN): The state-run TV news manager in southeastern Khost province on Tuesday accused foreign troops of raiding his residence without any cogent reason.
The pre-dawn raid on Zarwali Khushnud’s house in the Kundai area of Khost City was carried out by NATO-led troops who coming from a base that is a kilometre away
Khushnud told Pajhwok Afghan News: “The troops, after blindfolding me and my young brother, who is a cameraman at the Khost TV, took away all my office equipment and money.”
The news controller said he showed his office identity card and other documents, but the troops did not bother looking at them. The operation that began at midnight continued until 4am.
“When the troops left, I went to my room and found missing my office equipment, including a laptop, a camera and an amount of 200,000 afghanis ($4,000),” the journalist alleged.
He said if he was wanted by the troops, he should have been called to the base in daytime. All raiding soldiers were foreigners, assisted by two Pakhto-speaking translators, he added.
Khost Media Centre head Mohammad Rassoul Adil condemned the raid, saying such treatment of journalists at the hands of foreign troops had been a major source of concern for the community.
“Journalists are independent; their job is to serve as bridge between the rulers and the ruled. They have no affiliation with any group,” he Adil remarked, asking ISAF troops to apologise to Khushnud and return his equipment and money.
He warned of a boycott of covering foreign troops’ activities if such incidents repeated.
Governor Abdul Jabbar Naeemi also condemned the incident, promising an investigation. He praised Khushnud as a decent man, and a responsible government servant.
He believed the raid could be a result of misinformation. The governor said Khushnud would be returned his money and equipment soon.
A statement from the ISAF media office in Kabul said the troops conducted an operation against a Haqqani network commander in Khost City on Tuesday morning.
The commander was involved in attacks on an ISAF base in Sahra Bagh area, the statement said, adding a number of suspected armed militants were detained during the operation.